1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for closing gaps between carpet segments and, more particularly, to devices of the type described which are operator-actuated for stretching the carpet segments toward each other until they are adjacent for closing the gap therebetween, whereupon said segments may be secured for providing an apparently seamless carpet area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Practitioners of the carpeting trades frequently face a situation wherein carpet segments of often different materials and unequal tautness must be drawn together to form an apparently seamless, continuous carpet area. This occurs when carpeting is initially installed such as in wall-to-wall fashion in a series of rooms, or when carpeting is cleaned by shampooing or steam cleaning methods, with the detergents and steam which are used causing the carpet segments to shrink away from one another where they have been previously stitched or cemented together. Likewise, carpeting patchwork may be required such as in cases where a segment of the carpet has been mutilated or otherwise destroyed and the necessity of providing an apparently seamless carpet area by joining several carpet segments is presented.
Prior art devices for accomplishing the aforenoted purposes may be such as described in U.S. Pat. 2,882,642 issued on Apr. 21, 1959 to Hill and U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,023 issued on Mar. 19, 1968 to Hill and Giandomenico, both of said patents being assigned to Roberts Associated Industries, Inc. These prior art devices grip only one carpet segment and require an operator applied stretching force to stretch the gripped segment toward the other for closing a gap that may exist therebetween. A disadvantage exists in that when only one carpet segment is stretched, splitting and tearing of the stretched segment is likely to occur due to the stretching force required before the segment ends are brought together to close the gap. In this connection it is to be noted that when carpet segments have shrunk due to the aforenoted cleaning, a high degree of force is necessary to bring the carpet segments together since the gap must be closed by stretching the existing carpet, as compared to an installation where excess carpet is most likely available.